Dame Caroline Dinenage Backs National Fertility Awareness Week
Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, has thrown her weight behind National Fertility Awareness Week, running from 31 October to 4 November. The event, organised by Fertility Network UK, shines a spotlight on the struggles faced by millions battling fertility issues in the UK.
3.5 Million Brits Struggle with Fertility
Around 3.5 million people in the UK face fertility problems. While NHS In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is available, funding is patchy and controlled by local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). This has created a postcode lottery, leaving many unable to access vital treatment—especially in Hampshire.
Caroline Dinenage Takes On the IVF Postcode Lottery
Dame Caroline has been a vocal campaigner against this inequality. She raised the issue in Parliament and met with former Health Secretary Sajid Javid earlier this year to push for fairer access.
“Fertility Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of fertility issues. Fertility issues are not uncommon, with 3.5 million suffering, yet few people know of support networks and treatment available to them. I welcome the opportunity to raise the issue of unequal access to IVF treatment. Whilst IVF is available on the NHS, it is not always fully funded by localised Integrated Care Boards. This leads us to the current situation of a postcode lottery of access to IVF. I will continue the campaign on this issue. Patients who need access to IVF treatment must not be disadvantaged purely due to their postcode.”
Dame Caroline’s ongoing fight aims to end this postcode injustice and ensure everyone gets a fair shot at starting a family—no matter where they live.
